Just how much difference does the Tech "search party", as well as level 1 and 2 of the hero upgrades apply.

i can't tell the difference.

I've actually been keeping track trying to decide whether it's ever worth it and thus far it seems not to be. The only thing that improves from my results is the occasional find of small amounts of resources over nothing which won't make up for a useful tech.



Thus far with nothing invested in any of the skills/tech I've got 25/65 finds of nothing. With all 3 improvements I've got 8/29 finds of nothing and the ratios of big finds (quests ending in free tech, significant amounts of luxury/resource etc) haven't improved at all and actually favor the side with no skills invested. Obviously my sample size is too small to be definitive but at this point I'd never take search party for anything other than experimentation/roleplay reasons.

My decision on picking up search party usually depends on what my starter cities science output is. If I can research search party within the first 4 turns I always pick it up, if it will take anything over that I'll usually skip it. To me any benefit it may give, no matter how small is worth it, especially when I stack it with indiana bones.

That was my thinking before the latest patch, but with us now only needing 8 techs to advance an era I just can't justify search party at all anymore. There are simply too many great era 1 techs; I already have a hard time cutting one or two out.



The only way I see it as being worth it is if I get a quest for a free tech that I otherwise wouldn't have and based on the numbers I've seen thus far that just isn't happening.